The La Alma/Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association appreciates the opportunity to share with you our thoughts on the proposed Food Producing Animals (FPA) ordinance currently under consideration. At our monthly meeting in February representatives from Sustainable Food Denver provided an overview of the FPA ordinance and the issues surrounding urban agriculture in Denver. After a robust discussion around the details of raising animals in the city and the proposed ordinance, our association unanimously voted to support the FPA ordinance.

As a neighborhood ranging from single-family residential areas to high-density residential and office towers to industrial campuses, La Alma/Lincoln Park has a diverse population with varying opinions and preferences that are just as diverse. Noting the diversity of our members, we appreciate that the proposed FPA ordinance seeks to tackle the issues facing urban agriculture and animals – noise, sanitation, property rights, permits, etc – in a straight forward manner and in cooperation with City staff and departments.

Urban agriculture is a common topic at our monthly meetings, as many of our members actively garden through plots at their homes or through community gardens. Denver Housing Authority staff has indicated that as part of the South Lincoln redevelopment they are looking to incorporate space for community gardens on that site. Underlying these discussions are desires for sustainability in our neighborhood and access to healthy, inexpensive food. While our neighborhood does have a large-format grocery store, many residents choose to garden as an alternative. Given a straight forward and simple manner in which to raise chickens and goats for eggs and milk, our neighborhood would benefit from a comprehensive FPA law that allow for these activities without excessive red tape and bureaucracy.

In closing, the La Alma/Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association supports the proposed FPA ordinance, and as our representatives we ask for your support of this measure.

The Stapleton United Neighbors (SUN) board would like to express its support for the Food-Producing Animals ordinance that is being proposed by Councilman Nevitt. We appreciate the thought that has been put into the proposed ordinance by CPD, DEH, and the City Attorney's office, and we believe that the guidelines for the keeping of animals are adequate to support the health, safety, and welfare of our neighborhoods. We understand that cities across the country have adopted Food-Producing Animals ordinances similar to the one that Denver is considering.

The community that resides in Stapleton values sustainable living, and we recognize that urban-appropriate backyard food production can be a part of sustainable city living. In addition, we support our residents who choose to grow or raise some of their own food because of health, economic, and food safety considerations. There are currently residents in Stapleton who have backyard Food-Producing Animals, and it has not created a problem for our community.

We encourage the Planning Board and City Council to adopt the proposed Food-Producing Animals ordinance. Thank you.